Benjamin W. Leigh

Benjamin Watkins Leigh (18 June 1781-2 February 1849) was a US Senator from Virginia (NR) from 26 February 1834 to 4 July 1836, succeeding William Cabell Rives and preceding Richard E. Parker.

Biography
Benjamin Watkins Leigh was born in Chesterfield County, Virginia in 1781, and he served in the House of Delegates from 1811 to 1813. He later moved to Richmond and rose rapidly with his law practice, and he attended the 1829-1830 Virginia state constitutional convention. He went on to serve in the US Senate from 1834 to 1836, and he proposed a statewide boycott of pro-emancipation newspapers to coincide with the House gag rule on slavery. He left office in 1836, and he died in 1849.